Stop Living A Lie: The Sequel
by Saiesaie
Summary: The sequel to a oneshot I wrote a while ago. This continues three years later, with  Ric living in Brisbane far away from his old life in Summer Bay. But what happens when a tragedy involving his best friend and the woman he always loved brings him back.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: After many months (I think), I have finally decided to write the sequel to this thing! I hvae no idea where it's going to go yet, so bear with me! Schools pretty rough at the moment, which means updates will be few and far between. Especially since I have another fic on the go at the moment. I'll try and update again as soon as I can. Also, I was not too sure about the distance between Brisbane and Summer Bay (or Palm Beach) so I guessed it (quite badly probably!) My cousin lives in Sydney and I spoke to him but he knew nothing either!! So I apologise if my Scottish brain didn't get it right! Thanks for reading xx**

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Lights surrounded her. Bright, white trails targeted the car that she was comfortably sitting in. Fear took over her body as her muscles tensed up and her eyes became wide with fright.

"Luc!" she screamed. It was a high-pitched, deafening scream, although it was still not enough to grab her husband's attention. Lucas' face was still facing her own. His eyes were still gazing into her eyes, completely unaware of the dangers that were now facing him, just a split second after taking his eyes off the road.

The car, which was a wedding gift from her mum and Tony, smashed, head-on into the truck that was driving directly towards them. The sound of crunching metal rung in Matilda's ears and the impact of the crash caused her to lunge forward, hitting her head on the dash board. The vehicle started to turn on its side, ready to flip, fiercely and violently.

The came darkness…

-x-

"I cannot believe you made me do that, mate!" Ric laughed, grabbing his friend, Steve in a headlock. "I mean karaoke? What were you thinking?" he joked along.

"It's your birthday, man! We had to do something, and that something just happened to be public humiliation!" Steve replied, releasing himself from Ric's grasp.

Ric and a few of his friends were stood in a bar, in Brisbane just down the road from Ric's apartment. It had been his home for three years, since he left Summer Bay.

"Anyway, thanks Steve, it's been a great day. I better be heading home now anyway," he said, glancing down at his watch. "It's three o' clock, I'm getting too old to be out at this time!"

"Ah mate, twenty-eight ain't that old," Steve replied, grabbing Ric's jacket and his own, heading for the door.

-x-

Beth stood; staring at the four, white walls around her. Why white? Why not brighter colours? It would stop the place from being so depressing that's for sure; it would stop the constant reminders that her daughter was in the operating theatre down the hall, desperately fighting for her life. Her son-in-law was also having a life-saving operation at that moment. He wasn't just her son-in-law though; he was the love of her life's son, basically her stepson.

She had watched as Matilda's frail body was wheeled in, faster than she thought paramedics could ever move. The white shirt that Matilda had worn that afternoon was pink, soaked through with blood. Beth choked back a sob as she thought of the pain that must have overcome her daughter, the fear that she must of felt. Her heart had stopped twice in the ambulance on the way; they'd had to cut her from the wreckage, if you could even call it that. The car was more like a piece of paper that had been scrunched up, and ripped into tiny pieces, it was a miracle anyone survived. She had a severe injury to her head, many broken bones and possible internal bleeding. Why was life so unfair? Two years ago, Matilda had been the happiest woman in the world; she was marrying the man she loved. Why did it have to happen to her?

-x-

Tony watched as a fresh set of tears fell down his girlfriend's cheeks, he so desperately wanted to wipe them away, hold her, tell her everything was going to be okay, but she needed her space. Reality hadn't quite hit him yet; he wasn't sure how to react, to cry or to stay strong and hopeful. Lucas looked so broken as the paramedics rushed him straight into the operating theatre; his face was covered in the blood that flowed from his head, and he was wearing a neck brace. The nurse had explained his injuries in some extent to Tony, although he wasn't really listening. Something to do with his spleen rupturing. His mind focussed on the object that stayed protruding out of Luc's stomach, his eyes zoomed in on it, scanning through the possible consequences that faced his son.

Matilda's tear stained face was also an image that refused to leave his head. Didn't Lucas and Matilda deserve to be happy?

-x-

"Sally? It's Jack," his voice was hoarse and was competing against the continuous sounding of sirens in the distance, and it was a struggle to hold the phone to his ear with his shaking hands.

"What's wrong, Jack? Has something happened?" Sally's voice was full of concern.

"It's Luc and Mattie, there's been an accident…" Jack's voice cracked under the pressure as he began to tell Sally of the fate that may be awaiting two of his best friends, his brother and his sister-in-law.

-x-

"Ric? Ric? You're obviously not in since you're not answering any of my calls, but then again it is your birthday, you're probably drinking yourself into a coma…" Ric laughed at Cassie's voicemail message. Him and Steve were sitting on the sofa in his apartment now, with two fresh cans of beer by their sides. There was a certain sense of urgency in Cassie's voice that made Ric listen carefully.

"That's the wrong sort of joke to make in this situation…" Cassie cursed herself. Ric was now completely confused. What situation?

"It's Lucas and Matilda," she had his full attention now, at the mention of Matilda's name. Steve noticed the change in Ric's body language and listened in as well.

"There was a car crash, a truck," Ric could hear Cassie's silent tears come through in her voice. "The doctors are trying their very best, but… it doesn't look good. I know you haven't been back to the Bay for a few years now, and you've not even spoken to one of them since you left, but we really need you. They really need you…" Ric instantly sobered up, grabbing his jacket and putting it on, tuning out of the last part of Cassie's message. He needed to get back there. The woman he loved more than anything else in the world could be… He didn't even want to think about it.

"I'm going!" Ric shouted to Steve as he opened the front door, not giving his apartment a second glance as he headed out to catch the first bus he could to Summer Bay.

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**Please review and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is particularly welcome xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry everyone for taking soooo long to update. Computer problems... Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter, I'm glad you are enjoying it.

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**Chapter 2**

"Beth?" Hugh's tired voice broke Beth from her daydream.

"Hugh! What's happened? How did surgery go? When can I see Matilda?" Beth rattled many questions off, growing more impatient by the second.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you much yet, Beth. Although we've been in the theatre for eight hours already, the operation became more complicated than we first anticipated, and Matilda is still in there. I just came out to keep you up to date. I really am sorry there's nothing better I can report back…" Tony watched on as Beth was dealt another crushing blow, along with all of the residents from the Bay that had heard about the accident, who were offering their support.

"It's okay, Hugh. Just get back in there. Look after her for me, please?" Beth's pleading eyes refused to break eye contact with Hugh's.

"I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe."

**

* * *

An hour later..**

"Rachel! Finally! When can I see Lucas?" Tony jumped from his seat as he saw his friend walk through the doors, just thirty minutes after Hugh had left to go back to the operating theatre.

"Listen, Tony. I'm very sorry but…"

"But what? Rachel please don't tell me he's… he's…" Tears filled up for the hundredth time in Tony's eyes, but he refused to let them affect him. Sally and Brad stood firmly beside him; they too were bracing themselves for the worst.

"We managed to get him through surgery, his brain was starved of oxygen for a very long time though, there is most probably going to be some neurological damage. There was also some liquid forming around his heart, possibly from his lungs. We drained the fluid but if it comes back, it could be life threatening… I'm so sorry Tony, he could still get through this," Rachel's face was pale; all of the hours she had spent working on Lucas' damaged body had drained her of all possible energy. She hated this part of her job, it was even worse when it was personal. Why was such a lovely, young man in this situation? She couldn't even imagine what his family were going through.

"So what happens now? What are his chances of recovery? Is he going to have some sort of brain damage? What about that… that thing, in his stomach?" Tony was just thankful that his son was still alive. He didn't know what he would do without him. Jack now stood beside Brad, after hearing the news of his brother.

"It's likely that there will be some brain damage, Tony. We don't know when he will wake up; it could be a couple hours, maybe days. His body is working overtime to try and sort itself; we don't know the chances of success. It's a waiting game. The piece of metal that caused his spleen to rupture has been removed. To be honest with you, it's the least of our problems right now."

"Any news on Mattie?" Jack piped up.

"None as yet. I can go and check now if you like?" Rachel spoke sympathetically; they were a family filled with so much hope. She just prayed that everything would work out for them.

"That would be great, thanks sis," Brad spoke for Tony and Jack, both were too emotional to speak.

* * *

The atmosphere on the crowded bus was not doing anything to ease the anxiety that lay in the pit of Ric's stomach. It was now well in truly morning, and the lack of sleep was starting to get to him. He was scared, petrified even. Scared for _her_ and his best friend, Lucas. He may have been jealous of him all the way through their teenage years, they both got the girl, but only Luc could call her 'his own'. She was just Ric's best friend at the time.

Ric opened his wallet to reveal a picture of the three of them. They all looked so happy and contented. Stood in front of the big blue ocean, were three teenagers, Luc and Mattie were still in their school uniform and Ric was wearing a blue, open collar shirt with jeans. It was when Ric was around eighteen, and the others were sixteen or seventeen, which just happened to be ten years ago. Matilda stood in the middle of the two guys, her arm around each of them. Her smile gave enough sparkle to light the whole of Summer Bay in a flash, and the twinkle that was forever in her eyes shone brighter than the sea behind them.

How she still managed to take his breath away, just in the form of a photo, he would never know. When he first moved to Brisbane, a life without her just seemed impossible, he had no future without her. But as the days drew on, he knew that there was no point in grieving for something that he knew he would never really have, someone that didn't belong to him, although she gave him her heart.

After meeting new friends, and getting a new job as a mechanic, life just started to piece itself back together like a jigsaw, until eventually, Summer Bay was just a distant memory. He kept in touch with his family, either by phone or email, as well as occasional visits, such as birthdays. In fact, Sally, Brad, Alf, Pippa and Cassie were supposed to be coming to see him today, of course, those plans were now destroyed. He wondered if Cassie really expected him to come back and see them. She had said it plenty of times on the voicemail she had left him, but that didn't really mean anything, he was always telling them of his plans to come and visit _them_, instead of _them_ visiting _him_, but it never happened, not once, he never kept his word. He was a coward; scared of the way Matilda would react, if they were to ever meet again. And now, that moment had come, he wasn't scared at the way she would react, he was petrified of the way he would react when he saw her… how badly injured could she be?

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**Next Time: Ric arrives at the hospital. Will he have the guts to see Matilda?**

**Please Review...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Ric!" Jack cried as he saw his bewildered friend walk briskly through the hospital gardens. Ric stopped walking for a second, the voice registering in his head, and turned round to see Jack sitting on a bench, looking severely tired and anxious.

"Jack! Where are they? What's the latest?" Ric asked quickly, impatiently waiting for answers to the questions he had been replaying in his head during the whole journey, it had been hours since the phone call, why'd he have to live so far away?

"Well mate, I wish I could give you something positive to work with but…" Jack struggled to get the words out, how was he supposed to tell someone who you hadn't seen in years that his two best friends were on the brink of death?

"But what?"

"Tilly's still in theatre, has been for thirteen hours. Luc's out, but there could be some permanent damage to his brain, he was down for too long, there was also a piece of wreckage, well… you know…in his stomach, they managed to remove successfully though," Jack decided it was best to give the cold hard facts, with as little emotion as possible. It was too hard any other way.

His brother and his sister-in-law lay in the building opposite him, battered and bruised, inside and out. Jack had grown up with Lucas; dealt with his troubles as well as his own, watched him as he grew up without a mother and defended him no matter what.

Thinking of the fact that Lucas may never be the same again wasn't an option for him, positive thinking was his strong point, and that's exactly what he was trying to do now, think positively, if only it would work.

* * *

"She's stable just now, Beth, but we're not out of the woods yet. It's taking her a while to wake up from the anaesthetic, there's even a small chance that she may never wake up," Hugh hated this part of his job, delivering the devastating news. He received a dirty look from his wife, Rachel behind him, she hated it when he put it so bluntly, there was no other way to do it though, without getting too emotional yourself.

Beth was eternally grateful. The two doctors that stood in front of her had saved her daughter's life, and she knew that it would just be some time until she fully recovered. Matilda was going to beat the odds, she was a Hunter, and that's what they did.

Tony came and gave Beth a loving hug as he watched her face fill with joy, just because Lucas' chances were bad, he had to be there for his daughter-in-law and the woman he loved too.

* * *

"Ric? What are you doing here?" Sally jumped quickly from her seat, and gave him a hug. They both needed it as much as each other.

"Cassie called…" was all Ric could reply. He was slowly beginning to realise that this was all reality and not a dream, when he saw the faces that he hadn't seen in years, all supporting each other, waiting for the slightest bit of news. Beth and Tony were in the middle of it all, watching the world go by.

* * *

"Tony, Beth? I'm so sorry. Cassie called and told me. I came down here as soon as I heard," after a few moments of recuperation, sitting with Sally, Brad and Cassie, Ric felt that he needed to talk to them, they were his friends after all.

"Ric? Is that you, mate?" Tony asked, standing up beside Ric.

"Oh Ric! They'll be so glad that you're here!" Beth cried, pulling him into a hug similar to the one that Sally had given him before.

"So they're awake then?" Ric asked eagerly. He was met with silence though, as the couple in front of him gave each other a look.

"No, not yet. But they are both out of theatre now, it's just a matter of time until they're awake now," Beth spoke louder than before, it was almost as if she was trying to reassure herself as well as Ric.

"Have you seen her yet?" Ric asked, before correcting himself. "Sorry,** them**?"

"No, we don't think we can. It's just going to be too hard seeing them lying there, and not being able to do anything for them," Beth answered for them both, before walking away.

"The doctors say it may help to have some familiar faces around though, how about you go in and see them?" Tony saw Ric's taken aback look and continued. "To be honest with you I can't get in to see Luc yet, I'm waiting to get the okay from Rach, it would really help if you went in to see Matilda though, Beth refuses to go in," Tony pleaded as he watched Beth speak to Irene who had just walked in the door, making sure she was completely out of ear-shot.

"I…I…" Ric stuttered. This was something he didn't think would happen. Beth really should be the first person to go and see her own daughter. Tony put his hand on Ric's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Please, mate. I can't bear the thought of her being alone. She's really missed you, even if she never said it," Tony pleaded.

"Mr. Holden?" a nearby nurse asked. "You can go in and see your son now, Matilda's mother is also free to go in," she spoke softly.

"Erm… okay sure. Is it okay if this young man goes in to see Matilda instead? Her mum needs a few minutes first."

"Sure that's no problem," and with that Tony walked off with the nurse, leaving Ric standing in the middle of the waiting room, wondering if he should just bite the bullet and go for it. He was going to have to see her at some point, so what was the point in putting it off, she had to know he was there for her.

* * *

Dr. Sullivan lead him down the halls, the short walk that only took a minute or so, dragged on for Ric, seconds felt like hours, as he contemplated what his reaction to seeing Mattie again after what had happened between them in the past. The white walls felt like they were closing in on him, taking away the oxygen slowly but surely, making it harder for Ric to breath.

Breathing erratically with nerves, he stopped outside the ICU room, he could hear the distant beeping of the heart monitors and whatever else they had strapped to her through the door.

He stretched his hand out to open the door, and walked in carefully, hardly making a sound…

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**A/N: Thanks for the reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

She looked so peaceful and angelic as she lay there. But looks could be deceiving and Ric knew that underneath it all, Matilda's body was fighting to survive. The strength that she had always hidden beneath, deep inside her, would now need to break free, help her fight this battle and win the war, guiding her through this struggle.

On the outside, scratches covered her body, boring into her skin. They were just excruciatingly painful reminders of what horrors that must have happened while she was in that car. Her skin was red, raw around her arms, shoulders and chest, where bandages did not hide the wounds, or where casts did not protect her broken bones. Her hair, which was usually full of life, bouncing around her shoulders, was limp and lank, possibly darker than usual, in a tangled mess, flowing onto the pillow.

White sheets wrapped around her small frame, trapping her in the bed, even though she wouldn't move anyway, she was in a deep sleep. Ric wondered what was going through her mind right now, was it possible for her to dream? Was she aware he was with her? If he spoke would she hear him?

That beautiful face of hers was hidden beneath cuts and bruises, and the smile she usually wore had vanished, replaced by swollen lips, but Ric still longed to kiss them, to feel them pressed against his own.

Feelings that were forced to be forgotten, never to be seen again, had re-surfaced and he tried to control himself as he thought of what life was like before he had given her the ultimatum, run away _with_ him, or run away _from_ him.

He was hopelessly in love with her; butterflies grew and flew around in his stomach as he watched her chest move up and down so smoothly as she took every breath.

A lump formed in his throat as he pulled the chair along the floor to sit at her bedside, every inch he moved that little bit closer to her, the more his body shook, he had never particularly suffered from nerves before, well not until now.

Without thinking he grabbed her hand in his own, feeling their skin touching each other's once again, after so long. He lightly caressed her delicate hand, being careful of her fragile fingers, which were also covered in what looked like painful scratches. Her nail varnish, which he was sure had been carefully applied, was chipped, now non-existent on some nails. He always used to notice the smallest things about her, particularly her nail varnish. All he could think was that the crash must have been horrific.

* * *

Tony couldn't help but gasp as he joined Ric in Matilda's room. She was in a far worse state than Lucas was, on the outside anyway. It pained him to see his daughter-in-law like this, she didn't deserve it.

Consciously, Ric let go of Matilda's hand as he heard Tony enter the room, and turned round to give him a small, sympathetic smile, which Tony returned, gladly.

"This all just seems so surreal, I can't believe this is all happening, I never thought I'd be back here for one thing," Ric started to make conversation, the silence in the room was haunting him.

"I don't think anyone did expect to see you back here, mate. Considering the way you took off. You should have seen the state of Mattie; it took her months to get back to normal. She had other stuff going on as well though…"

"What other stuff?"

"Well Cass probably told you, but Tilly had a miscarriage about a month after you left, she was two months pregnant, Lucas was stoked when he found out he was going to be a dad, and I was going to be a granddad. Rachel said she was probably so stressed with the wedding and everything else that was going on, that her body couldn't handle it." Tony spoke sadly, it had obviously affected him.

Ric froze. Matilda had been pregnant, meaning there was a pretty good chance that it was his baby. How could she have not contacted him about the baby? Didn't he have a right to know? He was going to have to speak to Cassie about this; maybe she could shed some more light on the situation.

Of course, the baby wasn't his main concern at the moment; he had to concentrate on his two best friends recovering. They had to be okay.

"Tony? Dr. Sullivan needs you, it looks like Lucas is waking up," the nurse said from the door as an eager Tony leapt from the room.

* * *

**Next Time: Lucas is awake and Ric deals with the fact that he abandoned Matilda when she needed him most.**

**A/N: Sorry it's so short but I'm suffering from major writer's block so updates have been extremely hard to write. I'm working on a new chapter for 'I'd Wait For Life' right now so watch this space...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The room spun, he could hear people speaking to them. The problem was that his brain couldn't process what they were saying. It was coming out as drivel to him. White walls blinded him as they're brightness became too much and he sat down, looking for any form of security in a solid object.

Cassie was beside him. Turning round, he managed to make out her concerned face.

"How is she?" she spoke emotionally, hope present in her voice.

"I… she…" he tried, but any words that came out of his mouth would be incoherent. Seeing her again had thrown any sense of normality from his mind. It was a shock to say the least. It pained him to see her so battered and bruised. He would give anything to switch places with her. If only he would have been there, she wouldn't have been in that car, that's for sure. If he had his way, she wouldn't have been with Lucas at all.

"Ric? How bad is it? Please, just tell me!" Cassie croaked.

The look in his eyes said it all – Cassie knew that this was killing him.

"Cass?" Ric stopped looking at the ground after several minutes so he could focus on her.

"Yeah?" she asked, a look of confusion on her face.

"You never told me," he spoke softly. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Ric, I have no idea what you're talking about… Is this something to do with Mattie?" she whispered, worried about her brother. The long journey and the shock must have been getting to him. He wasn't making much sense anymore.

"The baby…" Ric managed to choke out, in barely a whisper.

"The… the what?" Cassie paused. She thought back to four years ago, when Matilda found out she was pregnant, when she held Matilda as she cried that day…

_**Flashback **_

_"Pippa, I'm sure Ric will phone tonight. He misses you just as much as you miss him!" Cassie consoled her seven-year-old sister._

"_Really, Cass?" Pippa asked as she wiped the tears from her face with the sleeve of her jumper._

_Cassie nodded with a sad smile. Truth was that nobody had heard from Ric since he took off a few days ago. Everyone was finding it hard to accept. Lucas was missing his surfing buddy and Sally was keeping herself busy around the house with chores to keep her mind from wandering back to Ric. Matilda had just been a hopeless mess, something had happened the night that he left between him and Mattie, and she couldn't for the life of her work it out. She just refused to talk about Ric; she never even dared mention his name._

_A knock at the door brought Cassie out of her daydream. Giving Pippa a quick hug before she ran away upstairs. Cassie let out a small laugh. Pip was too embarrassed to stay downstairs when she had been crying; it was something that she had always done._

_Opening the door, Cassie saw a familiar face, a distraught familiar face._

"_Mattie? What's wrong?" Cassie asked as her best friend collapsed into her arms, needing her support._

"_Cassie I'm pregnant," she sobbed into her arm._

_It confused Cassie, how upset she was. She was in a stable relationship with a man she loved. They were getting married! Yeah, so maybe a baby was coming into the equation a little earlier than expected, but did that really feel so upsetting?_

-x-

Sighing, Cassie turned to look Ric in the eye. "I wanted to tell you Ric, believe me I really did-"

"Then why didn't you?" Ric interrupted Cassie in an angry tone. He wasn't prepared to take any of her crap.

"I… She…" Cassie didn't want to tell him the whole truth. That day was one of the worst days of her life. For the first time in her life, she saw Matilda become unmasked as her squeaky-clean image was shattered.

**_Flashback_ **

_They were sitting in Cassie's bedroom. Sal had taken Pippa down to the diner as soon as she had seen the state that Matilda was in. Mattie just sat there, staring at the three positive pregnancy tests that had been her last hope. She wished so badly that she wasn't pregnant, Cassie could never understand._

"_You need to tell Luc," was all that Cassie could offer instead of comforting words. "People are going to find out sooner or later…"_

"_Do you not think I know that Cass!" Matilda yelled breathlessly. Taking time to compose herself, she calmed down before speaking again. "I can't tell him."_

"_Why not?" Cassie asked. Were couples like Luc and Mattie not supposed to share everything with each other?_

"_I think I've known for a while," Matilda grabbed her own hand to stop it from shaking, "about the pregnancy," she added._

_Mattie stood up, leaving Cassie sitting on her bed looking up at her as she paced the room._

"_I've thought about the dates, how I've been late… you know the drill," she rambled on. "I found out a couple of days ago-"_

"_So that's why you've been so emotional, I thought it was the fact that Ric had left!" Cassie exclaimed, interrupting Matilda, as she was just about to make a revelation._

_Matilda hated how nobody knew why she was so lost without Ric. If only they knew the truth…_

"_Yeah," she managed to stammer. "I'm a almost a month along. I was sick this morning, that's when I finally realised," Mattie managed to change the subject, only after speaking she regretted telling Cassie that she was only four weeks pregnant._

"_Wait…a month?" Cassie asked as Mattie nodded in silence as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Lucas was on his uni course until two weeks ago! He was away for three weeks. Mattie?" Cassie was piecing this together. Mattie didn't want to tell Lucas because it wasn't Lucas' baby._

_Matilda broke down there and then as her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. Cassie moved quickly to catch her and stop her from hurting herself._

"_I'm going to get rid of this baby, Cass. I __**cannot **__keep this baby." She sobbed. "Promise me something, Cassie?" Matilda's vulnerable face lifted so she could look for her best friend's reaction._

"_Anything," Cassie replied._

"_Don't tell anyone that I'm pregnant. Please. Not even… Ric."_

-x-

"She asked me not to tell you."

"What? She didn't think I should know?" he was freaking out. "Why did Luc not tell me? He didn't stop phoning for months after I left. Did he just forget to mention the fact that his girlfriend, _fiancé_ even, was pregnant?!"

"Lucas didn't know Ric, not until it was too late, anyway." Cassie decided to tell him the truth. The whole truth.

Ric sat in silence. He wanted to know everything.

"Matilda wasn't being completely honest with Lucas. It wasn't his baby…" Cassie's words hit Ric hard. That could only mean one thing. That it was his.

"Did she say who's it was?" he asked intently.

"No. Wait a minute? You don't seem too shocked!" Cassie came to a realisation. "You knew she was having an affair didn't you? I knew something was wrong between you two, nobody could find either of you the night before you left. There was that big storm and a search for missing people was going on. Matilda came back finally, but she wouldn't say anything about where she was! You never came back. That's what made you leave without saying goodbye, we knew you were leaving, but we never expected you to just drop everything and go. You two had a fight and that's what tipped you over the edge!" Cassie was on a roll now, and was quite impressed with her detective work. Ric however, was not in the mood for another one of Cassie's theories as to why he left Summer Bay.

"Cassie! Can we please just concentrate on what you were telling me?" a flustered Ric asked.

"Sorry. I really shouldn't be telling you this," Cassie hesitated. "You have to promise me you won't tell anyone Ric, especially not Luc?"

"You have my word," Ric honestly replied.

"She didn't miscarry. She had an abortion."

An abortion. The words felt like an arrow through Ric's heart. She killed his child.

"There were complications when she got home though, and she was bleeding too heavily. Lucas found out when she was rushed into hospital," Cassie wiped a stray tear from her face. "Mattie convinced Rachel to make it look like a miscarriage, and she did."

Ric couldn't help it; he buried his head in his hands and cried. He hated himself, hated himself for leaving Matilda when she needed him most.

Cassie's hand drew comforting circles on his back as she continued. "She had to lie about how far along she was as well. She was only five weeks along when she had the abortion. Luc thought she was nine. That was when he was away on that uni course in Perth. Remember?"

Ric nodded. He did remember. It must have been that night on the pier. They had been at Drew's birthday party on the beach, and since her fiancée was away, nobody thought it was unusual that Matilda and Ric had been inseparable that night. They were best friends, and Ric had offered to be her "date" for the evening. Of course, she hadn't objected. Nobody knew that they were genuinely a couple. After the party, one thing led to another and they found themselves in a very familiar situation. Unlike Mattie's relationship with Luc, after years of being together they had still had as much passion and chemistry as before, and they still found each other irresistible.

Ric and Mattie had made a baby together that night.

-x-

The doctors removed the tube from Luc's mouth and the ventilator was wheeled away from his bedside. Tony watched and a great sense of relief fell over him. His son was awake. It was just the road to recovery from now on.

-x-

Beth watched from a distance, as Ric and Cassie were deep in conversation. Most probably about her daughter. Nobody else knew how much Matilda really did miss Ric. She never said anything, but a mother can always tell what her daughter's thinking when she looks in her eyes. She loved her daughter more than anything else in this world and that's why it was so hard to go in and see her. Seeing her daughter fighting for her life like that is a scene that Beth hoped she would never witness. To go in there, would be like saying goodbye. And Beth was determined never to let her go.

-x-

**A/N: I'm soooo sorry for not updating any sooner. I have a seriously major case of writer's block going on at the moment and this is all I can come up with. I know nothing about pregnancy, by the way, and it was just randomly made up dates that I put in, so sorry if it doesn't make much sense.**

**Thank you to anyone who is still reading this and Merry Christmas!!**


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